


Tales of Winter Solstice

by ellay_gee



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Gen, Holiday prompts, i wouldn't be me if i wasnt late, im late, lost character, no whump yet, of course im late, we're just getting started tho
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-04
Updated: 2017-12-04
Packaged: 2019-02-10 12:05:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12911574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ellay_gee/pseuds/ellay_gee
Summary: different prompts for the holiday season, hopefully all posted during the month of december.  they will range from fluff to hurt/comfort to zany crack esque stuff maybe.





	Tales of Winter Solstice

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!! Im hoping to be all caught up and posting on the correct days by next weekend, but we'll see. Depends on how much overtime i can get this month :) Some will be shorter, some will be longer. I will update warnings and tags as they apply. For my whump fans, I promise there will be some in a few of the stories, but for this specific thing, we're gonna generally lean more towards fluff. Original prompt and more notes at the end.

Ignis frowned down at his phone.  For as much as the citadel pays for it, you would think it could withstand a simple fall to the pavement.  But no, here it was, screen cracked and stuck on a text from Noctis asking him to bring him some chips and soda.  The adviser had not dignified the request with a response, and now the screen was mocking him.

And the device was growing hotter in his hand.

Well, damn.

Ignis quickly slipped the back off the phone and removed the battery, lest it melt in his pocket.

Why did he decide today would be a good day to drive himself?  To the Refugee District, no less? 

Oh, yes.  Hulldagh Nutmeg. 

Last year for Solstice Night, Noctis had given him a recipe book that he was sadly unable to explore deeply due to his duties.  He’d been trying to rectify this since the holidays were fast approaching again, and was determined to make five dishes from each section of the book.  Tonight’s selection was to be Nebula Salmon Teriyaki, which called for that specific variety of the spice.

Though he could have substituted regular nutmeg for the Hulldagh, Ignis was nothing if not thorough, and he didn’t want to make a subpar dish.  He wanted to make sure everything was in perfect order in hopes that it may raise the prince’s spirits.

The holidays were a tough time for Noctis, what with his father always busy and his mother having passed long ago.  Though Ignis did his best to keep the boy occupied, he could see the melancholy plain as day on his face.

He wasn’t happy.

So, Ignis wanted to cheer him up the best way he knew how: cooking him delicious food.  Plus, he’d found that if he absolutely _drowned_ them in certain sauces, Noctis would occasionally deign to eat a vegetable or two.

He’d come to the refugee district because that was the only place to buy Hulldagh Nutmeg, and after procuring it and a few other small items, he’d been on his way back to the Citadel when it had happened: a loud pop and hiss drowned out the radio, and was quickly followed by all the dash lights blinking furiously. 

In a mild panic, he maneuvered onto the shoulder of the highway and shut the engine off, quickly exiting the vehicle and popping the hood.

He didn’t know why he’d done it. 

Ignis knew many things; the inner workings of a car was not one of them.

So, he’d pulled his phone out and promptly dropped it in his haste.

And now here he was.  Sweaty despite the chill to the air thanks to the two mile walk to the next exit on the highway with no way to contact help.  He’d even attempted to wave down a few motorists, hut none stopped and he so resigned himself to walking.

Unfortunately, it was growing dark, and Ignis was unfamiliar with the area.  He wandered for quite a bit before he was able to find a gas station, which he deemed sketchy at best.  Upon entering, the dim lights and odd assortment of goods set him on edge.

The man behind the counter regarded him with suspicion as he approached, and Ignis affected his most professional demeanor.  “Ah, yes, I do apologize, but my car-“

“What now?”  The man glowered at him, his demeanor shifting from suspicious to angry.

Ignis faltered, coming to a stop a few feet away from the counter.  He cleared his throat and tried again.  “You see, my vehicle—“

He was cut off as an older man jostled by him, muttering to himself as he plopped his items on the counter.  The clerk rang him up, only speaking to him the bare minimum necessary to complete the transaction.

Ignis waited patiently, but as he stood there, a woman bustled up to the counter and the process began again.  When she’d finally, gone, Ignis attempted his request again. 

Before he could get more than a few words out, however, the man was waving at him dismissively.  “I do not have to talk to you if you are not a customer. Buy something or leave.”

Ignis let out a long breath through his nose and turned away from the counter.  He slapped his feet against the ground in an act he deemed just short of stomping and retrieved an overpriced can of ebony from a cooler that smelled of old syrup.

After standing in line once again, he set the can upon the counter and pulled out his wallet.  As the clerk rang it up and grumbled out the price, Ignis spoke up again.  “I was hoping to use your phone, my car—“

“Phone don’t work.”  He dropped Ignis’ change in his palm and waved him away, calling out a callous ‘next’ to the man behind him. 

Ignis tightened his hand around the can and headed back outside.  He wandered a little further, not bothering to talk to any of the people he passed, and they did their best to pretend he didn’t exist.  He lucked upon a bus stop and sat down, figuring that if he could at least make it to the hub, he’d be able to contact someone from the Citadel and get himself home.

Twenty minutes later found him tapping his foot against the concrete, watching the road expectantly.  No one else sat with him, but he didn’t expect them to.  Everyone in this area seemed to have something against strangers.

Another fifteen minutes passed before he began to get nervous.  It was growing darker by the moment, and the streets were starting to clear.  It was odd, because the noble district and surrounding areas were usually just coming to life at this time of day. 

He was contemplating going back to his car and hoping that someone would come looking for him when a young, slightly chubby blond boy came jogging around the corner.

Ignis vaguely placed him as one of Noctis’ schoolmates, having seen him among the throng of students.  It was hard not to place the blond hair and freckles; neither of which were common in Insomnia.  He smiled brightly when Ignis caught his eye and slowed to a running-in-place stop by the bench.  “You know the busses don’t run today, right?”

Ignis stood, knitting his brows together in confused frustration.  “They don’t?”

The blond shook his head vigorously.  “Nope.  It’s Sunday.  Busses don’t run, and everything around here closes up early.  Always been like that.”

Ignis sighed deeply.  He was going to have spend the night in his car on the side of the highway…

“Do you need some help?”  The blond stopped jogging, but began to do lunges with his hands on his hips.  “You look a little….lost?”

Ignis gave the younger boy a soft smile. “I don’t suppose you have a phone I could borrow?”

“Sure do!”  He paused in his exercises long enough to dig it out of his pocket and hand it over.  Ignis thanked the boy profusely and took a few steps away to make his call.  While he was on the phone, his little freckled savior did pushups with his feet planted on the bench.

After securing a ride and a tow truck, Ignis handed the device back over to the boy and thanked him profusely.  He reached into his wallet and pulled out one of his cards with his personal number.  “If you’re ever in need of a favor—“

But the boy laughed and put a hand up in refusal.  “It’s ok.  It was just, like, a three minute call. No need to repay me.”

Ignis’ face folded in a soft smile.  “Please, let me thank you for your kindness—“

The boy flashed him a megawatt smile, eyes shining brightly.  “You just did!  Good luck!”  And then he was off again, jogging back out of Ignis’ life as quickly as he came.

Ignis watched him go, then hunkered back down on the bench to wait for his ride.  He was picked up quickly and soon found himself back in the Citadel, releasing his day’s stress by cooking his intended meal.

Noctis, in all the brooding desperation of an average thirteen year old, had locked himself away in his room for the entire day, only finally emerging when Ignis brought his dinner to his chambers.

“Tough day, Highness?”  He asked as he unveiled the meal to the grumpy teen.

He got a one shoulder shrug as a response and counted that as a win.

“Highness, may I ask you something about a school—“

“Ugh, not you too!”  Noctis practically yelled, not bothering to meet is advisor’s eyes.  “I’m bringing my grades up, ok!”

Ignis counted to ten in his head before attempting to respond.  “Apologies, Highness, I only meant to—“

“I said I’d do better, ok?!”  Noctis scraped his stool against the floor as he ambled to his feet and slammed both hands on the counter.  “I…I’m gonna eat in my room.”  He snatched the plate, nearly slinging half the meal onto the table as he pivoted away from it. 

Ignis was silent as Noctis stomped his way towards his bedroom door and gained a small bit of satisfaction as Noctis paused to glance back at him before shutting himself in once again.  “Uhm.  Thanks for making me dinner. Smells good.”  And then he was gone again.

Ignis shook his head.  _Teenagers._

The irony that he himself was only fifteen was not lost on him as he grumbled to himself about the prince’s antics as he cleaned the kitchen.

All in all, the day could have been worse, he supposed.

But, in the back of his mind, he noted to find out the name of the boy who assisted him and properly thank him at a later date.

It would be a long time before he was able to return the favor.

**Author's Note:**

> For the prompt: This isn't really that Christmassy, but here is a prompt. People are always doing Prompto lost/hurt needing rescue/comfort. I would love to see Gladio or Ignis lost/hurt needing rescue/comfort—edrela
> 
> I know this is likely not fully what you were looking for, but it's the direction the story went. I hope you enjoyed it anyway!!!


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